The Double Sided Heart
by Unit-777
Summary: Shinji and Asuka stop instrumentality and have the opertunity to start a new. What will happen in this new world. Warning senseless fluff ahead.
1. A New Beginning

The Double Sided Heart

Authors notes: I do not own Evangelion or any part of it, Gainax does. I do however own any and all original characters and any remembrance to real people or other fictional characters is strictly coincidental (If I put any in).

The background of this story will be an alternate ending to End of Evangelion, in which Asuka destroyed the mass produced Eva's, instrumentality was avoided. Shinji has recovered and is back to normal after syncing with Unit-01 during Asuka's battle where he talked with Yui learning about her and what his feelings mean and some other stuff also Asuka fought on the surface so their is no crater the geofront is still there. It will also be an Asuka Shinji paring and I might throw another in but ill see. Also this is going to be fluff. I've never written fluff before so let's see how we go.

"_" - Speaking

'_' - Thought/typed/read (Ill say if it is thought or typed or read)

Now let the chaos of my first story begin.

* * *

The warm morning air wafted into Shinji's room on the upper floor of the apartment block. He had left the window open over night hoping that he could collect some of the fresh night air to keep his room cooler during the day. Unfortunately after the events of two days ago he was still tired and did not get up early enough to close the window.

'Hmm should have closed that' he thought to himself as he stood up swaying groggily in front of the window looking out at Tokyo 3, the fortress city that was designed to intercept the angels. 'Angels' Shinji thought 'They are all gone, dead. What will happen now?' Pondering this he walked out of his room for the first time since getting home.

Misato was asleep still and so was Asuka. Pen Pen was casually waddling around the kitchen waiting for someone to come and feed him when Shinji walked from his room. The warm water flightless bird jumped at him to convey need for sustenance. Shinji removed some fish from the fridge as well as some rice and other ingredients to begin cooking breakfast for himself, Pen Pen, his guardian and the red headed pilot. The aroma of Shinjis cooking must have been contained pure caffeine, as right as the smell crept into their rooms through the thin paper doors they emerged from them to devour the meal that Shinji had prepared.

Sitting quietly Misato's hand sat on the table in a grasping position as Shinji slid the ice cold beer can into it for her, she immediately began to chug the content of the can and threw out her usual beer cry as Shinji placed the meals in front of the members of the apartment. They ate in relative silence not speaking while they shovelled the meal in. After they all finished Shinji collected the dishes and began to wash them while the others walked off to their rooms.

Moments later Asuka emerged brandishing a towel. Shinji looked around just in time to see her open the door to the bath room.

Asuka saw him turn and look and with a menacing scowl "If you dare peek Third child you will have wished instrumentality did happen. Pervert." She closed the door to the bathroom leaving Shinji a little in shock,

He shook it off remembering that this was a pretty normal occurrence during the morning, but the level of threat had begun to worry him a little.

Meanwhile in the shower stood the red headed pilot of Unit-02. After her win over the MP Eva's she was still on a high not just because she destroyed the nine units but that she didn't need help from Wonder girl or the Third child. Taking in the warmth of the water cascading over her body she felt at peace for once after learning that Mama still loved her and was watching over her the whole time.

'Hmm maybe I should get out soon, I should do something today' she thought.

Turning the taps off the red head stepped from the shower and began towelling herself off. When she had finished she wrapped it around herself and ventured out into the apartment. Shinji had finished evidently by the fact he wasn't standing at the sink and all the dishes were gone.

The fiery red head called out "Hey Shinji is Misato here?"

To which he replied from somewhere in the apartment "Nah she said she was going out with someone for the day". Asuka thought on this for only a moment and thought it would probably be Kaji;

Her feelings for him had subsided since he had rejected her and had begun spending large amounts of his time with Misato. It had not happened easily but Asuka had gotten over it in the end and she was actually happy she hadn't ended up with him after all.

Asuka stood in her room stark naked gazing out the window at what was left of the city. Although the geofront was mostly intact the rest of the city hadn't faired quite as well. A large amount of the eastern side of the city was destroyed after the previous angel attacks. The city was still somewhat brimming with life but not the way it once was. The red head was still day dreaming in front of the window when Shinji knocked on the door.

"Can I come in and talk Asuka" he said through the door.

Asuka in a daze just yelled "Yeah what do you want to talk about?"

As Shinji opened the door he saw her at the window. He blushed immediately at seeing her naked form bathed in the warm light of the window.

He stuttered as he turned to face out the door "A-Asuka y-you aren't wearing any c-clothes"

She suddenly turned to him hearing what he had said turning a shade redder than her hair as she swore in German "Scheiße, wie kannst du es wagen, mich anzusehen nackt" Just as she grabbed her towel from the ground and wrapped it around herself she began to move toward Shinji to beat him. "You pervet I told you not to peek, why would you come in here while I was dressing?"

Shinji felt a sudden fear come over him as he knew he was about to be beaten to a pulp for something he didn't mean. "Y-you c-called m-me in here, s-saying it was ok to come in"

Asuka back pedaled a little after hearing that and remembered saying it 'I must have been day dreaming pretty bad...' "I'll let you off this time third child, but next time I won't".

Shinji stopped cowering in the doorway and looked toward Asuka, who had a rather amused expression on her face, at seeing Shinji had turned straight around after seeing her exposed. Shinji turned around to the door again with Asuka giving him a look and then remembering she wasn't dressed.

'Maybe there is hope for the hentai pervert after all' she changed quickly into her yellow sun dress.

"Shinji what did you want to talk about after all" Shinji turned seeing the dress, he had always loved that dress on her. Not because he had seen what lay beneath on the 'Over the Rainbow' but because it made her look like an angel, not the monstrous, disgusting killing machines that he and her had fought, but a real messenger of god. A being who was the epitome of beauty.

He stood gorking in awe of the 'angel' in front of him before he was shaken back to realitly by that particular red head.

"Hey baka I know I'm magnificent and all but im going to beat you up if you don't stop staring" Shinji cowered a little as he heard this,

But looking up to the red head he saw that the usual scowl that would cover her face was not there and instead he saw her shimmering blue eyes just looking at him and an amused look on her face that he rarely saw.

"So what did you want to talk about?" the red head in front of him said in the most caring voice he had ever heard come from her lips.

"I- um wanted t-to talk to you. N-not really a-about anything b-but just t-talk" Trying hard to hold back the blush that was overtaking his face and hold back the stutter and uncertainty in his voice.

He looked toward the ground expecting Asuka to lash out and beat him for taking up her valuable time for no reason, but she didn't she just smiled. Looking at this smile and instantly felt more comfortable as the threat of a beating was definitely gone.

'I love that smile, should I tell her that? Nah probably not she will definitely beat me for that' he thought with a slight chuckle. Asuka didn't notice the chuckle but she did notice that Shinji was now staring directly into her eyes.

"Earth to baka-Shinji, come in baka" she said with a grin. 'Whats going on in his head? He never used to space out this often. What could he be thinking about while staring at me? It better not be anything perverted or I'm going to kill that hentai' Asuka thought as Shinji cocked his head to the side at the sudden scowl that had formed on her face.

"Baka you had better not have been thinking anything perverted or I will kill you" she said in the usual stern tone she used when about to lash out at him for something.

"N-no I w-wasnt A-asuka I s-swear" the words falling out of his mouth as his mind jumped suddenly from bliss to the very real threat of death in front of him. Knowing that he had no way of talking his way out of this one Shinji looked at Asuka and ran for the door, he was halfway out it when a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his chest and an unknown knee slammed into his back and inturn? him into the ground sliding along the kitchen floor right into Pen Pen's fridge crashing loudly.

Shinji opened his eyes to see a very pissed off penguin looking right at him and then two black flippers suddenly slapped him across the face. By this time Asuka and got up from her kneeling position on Shinji's back. With a smug look on her face she walked into the lounge room to watch television feeling she had taught that baka a lesson.

Five hours later Shinji had fixed the door to Pen pen's fridge and now begun cooking tea for the three inhabitants of the apartment knowing that Misato would be up to all sorts of unmentionable things with Kaji tonight and therefore wouldnt be home until morning.

Looking at the steamed rice and fish he had prepared for the three of them he called out "dinners ready"

Asuka shuffled in letting a loud yawn out as she sat at the table and admired Shinji's handy work. Pen Pen also sitting at the table let out a loud "Wwark" in approval of the meal before him swallowing the fish whole as well as the plate covered in rice. He waddled back into his fridge, giving the remaining occupants of the table a look; they both looked at the penguin and could of sworn they saw a grin appear on that beak of his. Shrugging it off they finished the rest of the meal in silence. Asuka stood when she was finished handing the plate to Shinji to wash up.

"Hey baka, want to watch a movie?" Asuka yelled from the lounge room making sure he heard. Shinji finishing the last dish put it in the cupboard and dried his hands.

Moving into the lounge room Shinji saw that Asuka was curled up on half the couch watching the opening credits of some movie he didn't recognize. "Are you cold?" he asked quietly seeing the goosebumps that littered her arms and legs.

"Yeah a little, could you grab me a blanket or something please" she said in the most sincere voice he had ever heard her speak to him in.

Wandering into his room he pulled the small blanket off his mat on the floor and handed it to the girl in the lounge room 'She probably would have gotten angry if I had gotten hers from her room, so hopefully she doesn't care that it smells like me'

Asuka wrapped herself in the warm blanket as Shinji sat down on the couch next to her. 'Wow I never knew he smelled this good, what is it I wonder? He's getting brave sitting right next to me. Maybe I'll give him a break, he did get me his blanket' wriggling around to get comfortable on the couch and purposefully sliding a little toward Shinji to see his reaction.

Asuka let out yawn and stretched her arms up running her fingers through Shinji's hair on the way down, to which he sat up straighter than anyone could have as his whole body became covered in goose bumps.

'That was the best reaction I've seen yet, teasing him like this is much better that just beating him for everything that he does' she thought as the movie title sequence began. Shinji sat that way for almost twenty minutes until he finally settled into the couch touching Asuka only slightly in the hope that she wouldn't beat him for it.

'I wonder why she is so different today? This is the strangest I've ever seen her acting around me. What could have gotten into her?' he thought as the movie played, but Shinji wasn't following what was going on.

Almost two hours had past since Asuka had put the movie on and it had just finished, the credits rolled and then the dvd jumped to the menu. She looked over at Shinji at the other end of the couch, he was asleep. Looking down and moving her legs Asuka noticed that their legs were tangled together.

'If that baka knew how much of my skin he was touching right now he'd have a heart attack' she thought standing up, careful not to move the boy too much in case he woke up. Pulling the blanket from around her body she draped it gracefully over the third child.

She tip toed quietly from the lounge room into the kitchen and then through the open door to her room. Stripping down to just an over sized shirt and panties Asuka crawled into bed, letting sleep take over her body and letting her mind wander. Quickly it arrived at the boy that was the third child, the pilot of Unit-01, the baka, Shinji Ikari. Her mind poured over the memories of him and her, as dreams yet unrealised ran around her mind.

* * *

Right I know it was short and probably wasnt very good but this being my first proper story I hope to improve over the course of the story. Anyway the next chapters will be much longer this was mostly just me trying to get something rolling and some kind of story going. Anyway if you could leave a review it would be greatly appreciated so that I have some idea how im going.

See you next time

Unit-777


	2. Hope

**Hold Me**

Authors notes: Thanks to DonderKind again for the review and encouragement it always helps. Anyway I promise this chapter will be the length I keep aiming for.

* * *

It had been several days since the night in the lounge room. Shinji and Asuka were becoming much more connected. Misato watched them wrestling around on the floor for control of the television remote, though the outcome was always the same. Asuka would start winning but Shinji would always win in the end.

'He's getting pretty strong.' She thought as she saw Shinji with the remote. 'I wonder if he will cave in again; that girl seems to get him every time.'

Not a second later Shinji handed the remote gently to the red-headed teen. Misato looked at her and noticed the batting of eyelashes.

'Hmm I guess he caved in again,' she thought with a chuckle as she walked into the lounge to break up the love fest and steal the remote for herself.

"Misato!" Asuka shouted as the purple haired woman snatched the remote with a chuckle and ran to the couch, careful not to spill her beer.

"Hey you didn't win it fair and square either," Misato yelled playfully back.

"Who needs to fight, I win the hearts and minds," Asuka said poking her tongue out.

"You're lucky you have your girlish charms, I wouldn't have let you win otherwise," Shinji said with a smile at the beautiful red-head.

Asuka looked at the boy and smiled genuinely at him.

'He's so cute when he smiles,' Asuka thought and felt the warmth of a blush fill her cheeks.

Shinji stood up, bending down to help the red-head off the warm soft carpet of the lounge room, only to find that the fiery red-head had other ideas in mind. Asuka grabbed his out stretched arm and pulled him off-balance rolling on top of him. They again began to wrestle, although this time there was no conceivable goal other than to prolong the moment.

'Hmm they are getting much more comfortable at showing their emotions,' Misato pondered as she glanced from the television program to the two teens playfully wrestling on the ground in front of her. "Get a room you two," Misato shouted over the bouts of laughter and Asuka's plea's to get Shinji to stop tickling her.

"Not just yet Misato, still got a long way to go before that starts happening," Asuka answered with a giggle. Shinji just blushed and dove back onto the red-head to continue the tickle torture he had discovered to be very effective against his girlfriend.

"Rise and shine you two!" Yelled Misato from the kitchen. "Asuka, Hikari is back today so I assume you are going to see her? Shinji, Touji and Kensuke are back as well!" Both teens came running from their rooms at the news their guardian had delivered.

"I'm going to ring Hikari right now," Asuka said walking to the land line on the wall to ring Hikari. Asuka dialled the number and Hikari answered quickly after the second ring. Asuka began babbling incoherently about all the things she could think of. All but one thing: Shinji. "Ok I'll see you when you get here," Asuka spoke clearly into the hand piece before hanging it up.

"So Shinji are you going to meet with the stooges because if you are..." Asuka's sentence was cut short by a knock at the door. "Come in its open," Misato called from the table before taking another sip of her morning beer.

Touji and Kensuke both barrelled down the hallway, diving onto Shinji. The three boys rolled along the tiled floor and into the wall at the other end of the kitchen. "We've missed ya buddy," yelled both the boys in almost unison before helping the now confused, cheerful boy off the floor.

"Are you alright Shinji?" Asuka ran toward him and cradled his head.

"Umm Shinji what the fuck is going on?" Called the two boys in almost complete unison again. Their faces a mixture of sheer terror and confusion.

At this moment Hikari walked through the still open front door to find the spectacle in the kitchen. "What are you stoo..." Hikari trailed off as she noticed the two pilots. "Asuka what's... What's going on?" Hikari asked with a shocked tone.

"Take a seat everyone there is some explaining to do." Misato said breaking the silence with a smile arching across her face.

* * *

Dumbfounded expressions could be seen on the three non Nerv personnel. Hikari was the first to speak.

"OH MY GOD ASUKA-CHAN! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT! IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU," Hikari screamed at the top of her lungs as she crash tackled Asuka across the floor.

The two boys were less impressed.

"Dude I didn't think you and the devil had anything going on other than an intense hatred of each other," Touji said blandly with Kensuke nodding in agreement.

"Well I never actually hated her, we just weren't the best of friends," Shinji spoke somewhat intimidated by the two boys staring him down like they were trying to change his mind by just looking at him.

"Now boys, I think it's really cute that they have feelings like this for one another. Of all the people who deserve happiness I think Shinji and Asuka are definitely up there, if not the top two." Misato interrupted before things got further out of hand.

"We know Misato but we have seen how much pain Shinji gets because of her. We know they deserve to be happy but I don't know if they will, well if Shinji will." Kensuke speaking this time with Touji nodding in agreement of everything his friend had said.

"Well if you don't think Shinji will be happy how about you ask him if he has ever been this happy in his whole life, go on." Misato said firmly knowing she had exploited the only weakness in their argument, albeit the most obvious.

The two boys turned to face Shinji. He looked up at them from his seat.

"Look I am your friend I always will, you two were my first friends the only I have ever had. But. Misato is right. This is the first time in my life that I feel I actually have a connection to someone. The first time I have ever felt like someone who truly understands me actually loves me. So if you could please do this for me. She has changed. Asuka has changed. Please just try getting to know the new her. Think of it as a fresh start. I promise you she is not the same Asuka after all the shit we have been through." Shinji spoke like a man on a mission. A mission to save the newly formed relationship that he had become so fond of.

"Awww Shinjiiiiii! You're such a cutie!" Asuka shouted as she dove across the table and clung to the hapless third child who was not expecting the move.

Hikari smiled widely at seeing this and moved over to stand with Touji and Kensuke, who were both dumbstruck by the move by the 'red devil' as she used to be known as well as the sudden backbone Shinji had grown, considering that he would never have disagreed or thought about his own happiness like that before mostly because he never thought he could have been happy.

"So guys do you still think she is the same girl?" Shinji said in a matter of fact tone, gesturing toward the form of Asuka clinging to his body.

"Well I guess you are right. She seems a completely different person than before. But. I still have my doubts," Touji said with Kensuke nodding next to him agreeing with everything. Until Hikari closed the small gap between the two boys and began pushing them toward the hallway.

"Look you two if you don't approve I don't care but for their sake and happiness you will play nice. Got it." Hikari hissed in a low voice before dragging the boys back around their heads nodding in unison at the obvious threat of death or worse should they screw it up.

"Right. Now that all of that is sorted out I want to make a proposition to all of you. Since these two haven't had much company recently other than myself and Pen Pen, as magnificent as we are. Would you lot like to stay here for a night of games movies and fun?" Misato asked with a cheerful smile getting a gleeful 'wark' from Pen Pen.

Shinji and Asuka both just turned to look at Misato with confused and almost scared looks on their faces. 'Oh lord this isn't going to be some normal teenage movie night.' They both thought, looks of pure terror covering their faces suddenly.

"Yeah awesome," Replied the three non-pilots. To Misato's obvious approval.

"So what will we need?" Hikari asked in a more than excited manner.

* * *

"This was a great idea Misato," Hikari shouted with glee over the sound of the rather loud music. Feeling her arms and legs begin to feel like jelly.

"Right hand to green." Misato yelled over the music. Watching as the five teens tried to move around each other without touching very much but still achieving their goal.

"My hands slipping. HEY GET YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THOSE!" Hikari yelled as Touji brushed up against her pillows as he moved his hand to the green dot below them.

"I cant help it." He said. Then all the teens fell to the floor in a tangled mess. Misato giggling at the way she had engineered it all.

'Hmm I just wish there had have been another girl, Shinji and Asuka are a sure thing. Hikari and Touji are a bit harder to work out probably because they are confused. But. Kensuke. Well there is no one here for him and im not going to hit on him. Although I guess I can make his night more enjoyable, lets see if my female charm is still just as good. Time to get to work girls.' Misato thought while watching the teens pick themselves off the mat and take seats all around the room creating a rather strange circle around the mat.

"Well how did that go? I definitely enjoyed it." Misato said with a giggle to the groaning replies of five different voices from around the room.

"So seeing as you all look pretty tired I'm thinking that it might be movie time. A horror movie perhaps?" Misato floating the idea around the room as she bent over in front of Kensuke to put a DVD into the tray, giving him a perfect view of the 'twins'. The title sequence began to run.

'The Thing' "Hey Misato I've never heard of this movie," Touji said now sitting next to Hikari with his arm carefully hiding behind her.

"Really this is a classic from back before even I was born." Smirking at the two happy couples slightly cuddled up to each other. Signalling for Kensuke to come and sit with Misato chuckled at the nervous boy.

"This one still scares me, so I need a big strong hero. Up to it." Kensuke gulped at this. Misato taking that as a yes. Before wrapping her arm around the boy and dragging him into her bosom. 'This should be a fun end to the night.' Misato thought as she felt Kensuke slightly relax in her arms.

'What is that woman thinking putting on some horror movie. I'm more scared than anyone here. Urgh Misato you will pay for this. Why couldn't we have just watched some action movie?' Asuka thought. Glancing up at her guardian who gave her a wink and made a hugging gesture with Kensuke who stiffened up again at the sudden movement.

'Ah I see what she did. Now to make up some excuse to the baka.' Asuka thought moving in front of Shinji's legs that were out stretched on the floor, crawling in between them and snuggling back into the somewhat confused boy as she moved his arms to wrap around her. 'Much better.'

"Psst. Asuka. You aren't scared are you?" Shinji said in a low voice flinching as he finished in preparation for saying something so stupid.

'SHIT! He's got me. Do I tell him the truth? What do I do? I'm going to tell him. Maybe. No you are Asuka. Ok.'

"Yeah. Horror movies aren't my thing." Asuka said in a whisper so no one else could hear. 'Pick your words carefully third,' Asuka thought. To her surprise none came from his mouth. He just looked up at the movie and gently but firmly pulled her in closer to himself.

'Smartass knew exactly what to do. Never would have thought he would have given up that opportunity. Well I guess we have changed since then, this is evidence of that.' Asuka thought as she got more comfortable in his arms.

'Well maybe Misato's plan wasn't so bad after all. I wonder if this was the objective of the night? Probably' He thought glancing over at his purpled haired guardian. Who was making gestures and mouthing words at Touji. Looking toward the direction of his sporty friend he saw that Touji was helping Hikari to get comfortable in his lap much the same way that Asuka was in his.

'Oh Misato you sly fox you,' Shinji thought looking down at Asuka who had fallen asleep in his lap a slight smile arching across her face as she peacefully slept as the credits of the film began to roll.

Misato stood up gently moving the now sleeping Kensuke onto his back and dragging him gently up the couch till he looked vaguely comfortable. Walking down the hallway and retrieving several blankets, pillows and bed mats. 'I wonder if my little ones will share one,' she thought with a little chuckle. "They will if they know what's good for them," Misato said quietly to no one in particular.

Misato laid out four of the mats and threw a blanket and pillow on each gesturing for Shinji to move Asuka onto one, he followed the vague order gently shuffling over and placing the sleeping redhead on the mat and pulling a blanket over her slender form. He then stood up to help Misato get the lights, tv and move to his bed.

"Oh no you don't Shinji. You are going to stay right here with your lovely girlfriend. But before you do that I have something to say." Misato said quietly so she didn't wake anyone as she carefully nudged the spare mat up against Asuka's knowing Shinji would move it unless she said something.

"I want you to cuddle up to Asuka. Ok. Nothing less nothing more. I just want you to hold her all night and begin the journey that you two have undertaken. Ok." Misato said.

"Misato I don't think I can do that. If she wakes up-" Shinji was cut short by Misato covering his mouth as she again began to speak.

"She loves you just as much as you love her. She will enjoy it I promise. You should feel privileged that you have such an understanding guardian. Anyone else wouldn't have let you get together."

Shinji reluctantly at first laid down next to Asuka before covering himself gently with her blanket. Misato pushed him a little and stretched his arms under her neck and around Asuka's slender midriff. Shinji shuddered a little at the contact of his cool hand on the warm bare skin of Asuka. 'Maybe Misato is right this does feel really nice.' Shinji thought.

"Night all." Misato whispered as she left the lounge room chugging a beer before she closed the door to her bedroom.

The only light, filtering through the open windows that allowed the cool night air to drift into the room as well.

'The baka thinking that I wouldn't be happy if he held me all night. Glad I had that quick chat to Misato about this. God I love how innocent he is. Can't wait till I take tha... Bad Asuka. Bad. Shinji's cute and innocent and you have only been a short time.' Asuka told herself mentally as if she was talking to someone completely different. 'Anyway best get some sleep.'

"Night baka," Asuka sweet voice drifting to the ears of that particular idiot.

'Cute. Acting like she was asleep to get to sleep with me.' Shinji thought as sleep slowly claimed him. His hands gently gripped by a red-head in his lap.

* * *

Nine o'clock come suddenly the next morning and even after her countless beers the night before Misato managed to be the first to awaken. This she found very odd and decided that it would be best to wake the sleeping teens. Just to see their reactions.

Walking into the lounge she saw something that looked all to cute and adorable. 'Cute as hell. Time to get the camera and make some memories,' she thought pulling the camera off the bench and taking several photos of Shinji and Asuka in some form of 'pretzel' position sound asleep their hands still intertwined. Hikari and Touji were laying maybe three inches apart facing each other, but Kensuke, Misato noticed was in a much more interesting sleeping position. Both his legs and arms wrapped around the pillow Misato had given him. Taking a photo of the teens from different angles Misato decided it was time.

"Come on you lot! Time to get up!" She shouted with a grin as all the teens slowly awoke and saw her taking yet more photos of them.

"W-what are you doing Misato," Shinji managed to groggily piece the words together into a coherent sentence.

"Oh nothing much just capturing it all,'' She said with a giggle. "Nice moves last night, I hardly had to push you far," Misato added with playful grin and a wink.

Asuka looked at Misato with a knowing smile and a wink, Shinji didn't notice.

'Thanks Misato. I needed that,' Asuka thought as Misato walked out into the kitchen to fetch a beer for herself.

"So. Who's hungry?" Shinji asked loudly so everyone heard.

"Me!" Came the excited responses from the rest of the people in the apartment.

* * *

I hope this didn't suck too badly. I'm sure you will all tell me if it does. I haven't had my amazing girlfriend edit this like my other chapters so I hope my skills are enough. I think I've gotten rid of most of the errors but let me know anyway thanks for reading and reviewing this. Things are starting to get better next chapter I promise. Again sorry about how long it took I've been busy with school at the moment but I promise it will become more regular. Anyway that's all for now.

Contrary to what I said this story will not have another chapter for quite some time. I'm working on my HSC at the moment and my computer has also decided to shit itself. So it could be awhile before you get more of this fluff. Anyway thanks for sticking with me.

Unit-777


	3. Hold Me

**Hold Me**

Authors notes: Thanks to DonderKind again for the review and encouragement it always helps. Anyway I promise this chapter will be the length I keep aiming for.

* * *

It had been several days since the night in the lounge room. Shinji and Asuka were becoming much more connected. Misato watched them wrestling around on the floor for control of the television remote, though the outcome was always the same. Asuka would start winning but Shinji would always win in the end.

'He's getting pretty strong.' She thought as she saw Shinji with the remote. 'I wonder if he will cave in again; that girl seems to get him every time.'

Not a second later Shinji handed the remote gently to the red-headed teen. Misato looked at her and noticed the batting of eyelashes.

'Hmm I guess he caved in again,' she thought with a chuckle as she walked into the lounge to break up the love fest and steal the remote for herself.

"Misato!" Asuka shouted as the purple haired woman snatched the remote with a chuckle and ran to the couch, careful not to spill her beer.

"Hey you didn't win it fair and square either," Misato yelled playfully back.

"Who needs to fight, I win the hearts and minds," Asuka said poking her tongue out.

"You're lucky you have your girlish charms, I wouldn't have let you win otherwise," Shinji said with a smile at the beautiful red-head.

Asuka looked at the boy and smiled genuinely at him.

'He's so cute when he smiles,' Asuka thought and felt the warmth of a blush fill her cheeks.

Shinji stood up, bending down to help the red-head off the warm soft carpet of the lounge room, only to find that the fiery red-head had other ideas in mind. Asuka grabbed his out stretched arm and pulled him off-balance rolling on top of him. They again began to wrestle, although this time there was no conceivable goal other than to prolong the moment.

'Hmm they are getting much more comfortable at showing their emotions,' Misato pondered as she glanced from the television program to the two teens playfully wrestling on the ground in front of her. "Get a room you two," Misato shouted over the bouts of laughter and Asuka's plea's to get Shinji to stop tickling her.

"Not just yet Misato, still got a long way to go before that starts happening," Asuka answered with a giggle. Shinji just blushed and dove back onto the red-head to continue the tickle torture he had discovered to be very effective against his girlfriend.

"Rise and shine you two!" Yelled Misato from the kitchen. "Asuka, Hikari is back today so I assume you are going to see her? Shinji, Touji and Kensuke are back as well!" Both teens came running from their rooms at the news their guardian had delivered.

"I'm going to ring Hikari right now," Asuka said walking to the land line on the wall to ring Hikari. Asuka dialled the number and Hikari answered quickly after the second ring. Asuka began babbling incoherently about all the things she could think of. All but one thing: Shinji. "Ok I'll see you when you get here," Asuka spoke clearly into the hand piece before hanging it up.

"So Shinji are you going to meet with the stooges because if you are..." Asuka's sentence was cut short by a knock at the door. "Come in its open," Misato called from the table before taking another sip of her morning beer.

Touji and Kensuke both barrelled down the hallway, diving onto Shinji. The three boys rolled along the tiled floor and into the wall at the other end of the kitchen. "We've missed ya buddy," yelled both the boys in almost unison before helping the now confused, cheerful boy off the floor.

"Are you alright Shinji?" Asuka ran toward him and cradled his head.

"Umm Shinji what the fuck is going on?" Called the two boys in almost complete unison again. Their faces a mixture of sheer terror and confusion.

At this moment Hikari walked through the still open front door to find the spectacle in the kitchen. "What are you stoo..." Hikari trailed off as she noticed the two pilots. "Asuka what's... What's going on?" Hikari asked with a shocked tone.

"Take a seat everyone there is some explaining to do." Misato said breaking the silence with a smile arching across her face.

* * *

Dumbfounded expressions could be seen on the three non Nerv personnel. Hikari was the first to speak.

"OH MY GOD ASUKA-CHAN! I WAS NOT EXPECTING THAT! IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU," Hikari screamed at the top of her lungs as she crash tackled Asuka across the floor.

The two boys were less impressed.

"Dude I didn't think you and the devil had anything going on other than an intense hatred of each other," Touji said blandly with Kensuke nodding in agreement.

"Well I never actually hated her, we just weren't the best of friends," Shinji spoke somewhat intimidated by the two boys staring him down like they were trying to change his mind by just looking at him.

"Now boys, I think it's really cute that they have feelings like this for one another. Of all the people who deserve happiness I think Shinji and Asuka are definitely up there, if not the top two." Misato interrupted before things got further out of hand.

"We know Misato but we have seen how much pain Shinji gets because of her. We know they deserve to be happy but I don't know if they will, well if Shinji will." Kensuke speaking this time with Touji nodding in agreement of everything his friend had said.

"Well if you don't think Shinji will be happy how about you ask him if he has ever been this happy in his whole life, go on." Misato said firmly knowing she had exploited the only weakness in their argument, albeit the most obvious.

The two boys turned to face Shinji. He looked up at them from his seat.

"Look I am your friend I always will, you two were my first friends the only I have ever had. But. Misato is right. This is the first time in my life that I feel I actually have a connection to someone. The first time I have ever felt like someone who truly understands me actually loves me. So if you could please do this for me. She has changed. Asuka has changed. Please just try getting to know the new her. Think of it as a fresh start. I promise you she is not the same Asuka after all the shit we have been through." Shinji spoke like a man on a mission. A mission to save the newly formed relationship that he had become so fond of.

"Awww Shinjiiiiii! You're such a cutie!" Asuka shouted as she dove across the table and clung to the hapless third child who was not expecting the move.

Hikari smiled widely at seeing this and moved over to stand with Touji and Kensuke, who were both dumbstruck by the move by the 'red devil' as she used to be known as well as the sudden backbone Shinji had grown, considering that he would never have disagreed or thought about his own happiness like that before mostly because he never thought he could have been happy.

"So guys do you still think she is the same girl?" Shinji said in a matter of fact tone, gesturing toward the form of Asuka clinging to his body.

"Well I guess you are right. She seems a completely different person than before. But. I still have my doubts," Touji said with Kensuke nodding next to him agreeing with everything. Until Hikari closed the small gap between the two boys and began pushing them toward the hallway.

"Look you two if you don't approve I don't care but for their sake and happiness you will play nice. Got it." Hikari hissed in a low voice before dragging the boys back around their heads nodding in unison at the obvious threat of death or worse should they screw it up.

"Right. Now that all of that is sorted out I want to make a proposition to all of you. Since these two haven't had much company recently other than myself and Pen Pen, as magnificent as we are. Would you lot like to stay here for a night of games movies and fun?" Misato asked with a cheerful smile getting a gleeful 'wark' from Pen Pen.

Shinji and Asuka both just turned to look at Misato with confused and almost scared looks on their faces. 'Oh lord this isn't going to be some normal teenage movie night.' They both thought, looks of pure terror covering their faces suddenly.

"Yeah awesome," Replied the three non-pilots. To Misato's obvious approval.

"So what will we need?" Hikari asked in a more than excited manner.

* * *

"This was a great idea Misato," Hikari shouted with glee over the sound of the rather loud music. Feeling her arms and legs begin to feel like jelly.

"Right hand to green." Misato yelled over the music. Watching as the five teens tried to move around each other without touching very much but still achieving their goal.

"My hands slipping. HEY GET YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THOSE!" Hikari yelled as Touji brushed up against her pillows as he moved his hand to the green dot below them.

"I cant help it." He said. Then all the teens fell to the floor in a tangled mess. Misato giggling at the way she had engineered it all.

'Hmm I just wish there had have been another girl, Shinji and Asuka are a sure thing. Hikari and Touji are a bit harder to work out probably because they are confused. But. Kensuke. Well there is no one here for him and im not going to hit on him. Although I guess I can make his night more enjoyable, lets see if my female charm is still just as good. Time to get to work girls.' Misato thought while watching the teens pick themselves off the mat and take seats all around the room creating a rather strange circle around the mat.

"Well how did that go? I definitely enjoyed it." Misato said with a giggle to the groaning replies of five different voices from around the room.

"So seeing as you all look pretty tired I'm thinking that it might be movie time. A horror movie perhaps?" Misato floating the idea around the room as she bent over in front of Kensuke to put a DVD into the tray, giving him a perfect view of the 'twins'. The title sequence began to run.

'The Thing' "Hey Misato I've never heard of this movie," Touji said now sitting next to Hikari with his arm carefully hiding behind her.

"Really this is a classic from back before even I was born." Smirking at the two happy couples slightly cuddled up to each other. Signalling for Kensuke to come and sit with Misato chuckled at the nervous boy.

"This one still scares me, so I need a big strong hero. Up to it." Kensuke gulped at this. Misato taking that as a yes. Before wrapping her arm around the boy and dragging him into her bosom. 'This should be a fun end to the night.' Misato thought as she felt Kensuke slightly relax in her arms.

'What is that woman thinking putting on some horror movie. I'm more scared than anyone here. Urgh Misato you will pay for this. Why couldn't we have just watched some action movie?' Asuka thought. Glancing up at her guardian who gave her a wink and made a hugging gesture with Kensuke who stiffened up again at the sudden movement.

'Ah I see what she did. Now to make up some excuse to the baka.' Asuka thought moving in front of Shinji's legs that were out stretched on the floor, crawling in between them and snuggling back into the somewhat confused boy as she moved his arms to wrap around her. 'Much better.'

"Psst. Asuka. You aren't scared are you?" Shinji said in a low voice flinching as he finished in preparation for saying something so stupid.

'SHIT! He's got me. Do I tell him the truth? What do I do? I'm going to tell him. Maybe. No you are Asuka. Ok.'

"Yeah. Horror movies aren't my thing." Asuka said in a whisper so no one else could hear. 'Pick your words carefully third,' Asuka thought. To her surprise none came from his mouth. He just looked up at the movie and gently but firmly pulled her in closer to himself.

'Smartass knew exactly what to do. Never would have thought he would have given up that opportunity. Well I guess we have changed since then, this is evidence of that.' Asuka thought as she got more comfortable in his arms.

'Well maybe Misato's plan wasn't so bad after all. I wonder if this was the objective of the night? Probably' He thought glancing over at his purpled haired guardian. Who was making gestures and mouthing words at Touji. Looking toward the direction of his sporty friend he saw that Touji was helping Hikari to get comfortable in his lap much the same way that Asuka was in his.

'Oh Misato you sly fox you,' Shinji thought looking down at Asuka who had fallen asleep in his lap a slight smile arching across her face as she peacefully slept as the credits of the film began to roll.

Misato stood up gently moving the now sleeping Kensuke onto his back and dragging him gently up the couch till he looked vaguely comfortable. Walking down the hallway and retrieving several blankets, pillows and bed mats. 'I wonder if my little ones will share one,' she thought with a little chuckle. "They will if they know what's good for them," Misato said quietly to no one in particular.

Misato laid out four of the mats and threw a blanket and pillow on each gesturing for Shinji to move Asuka onto one, he followed the vague order gently shuffling over and placing the sleeping redhead on the mat and pulling a blanket over her slender form. He then stood up to help Misato get the lights, tv and move to his bed.

"Oh no you don't Shinji. You are going to stay right here with your lovely girlfriend. But before you do that I have something to say." Misato said quietly so she didn't wake anyone as she carefully nudged the spare mat up against Asuka's knowing Shinji would move it unless she said something.

"I want you to cuddle up to Asuka. Ok. Nothing less nothing more. I just want you to hold her all night and begin the journey that you two have undertaken. Ok." Misato said.

"Misato I don't think I can do that. If she wakes up-" Shinji was cut short by Misato covering his mouth as she again began to speak.

"She loves you just as much as you love her. She will enjoy it I promise. You should feel privileged that you have such an understanding guardian. Anyone else wouldn't have let you get together."

Shinji reluctantly at first laid down next to Asuka before covering himself gently with her blanket. Misato pushed him a little and stretched his arms under her neck and around Asuka's slender midriff. Shinji shuddered a little at the contact of his cool hand on the warm bare skin of Asuka. 'Maybe Misato is right this does feel really nice.' Shinji thought.

"Night all." Misato whispered as she left the lounge room chugging a beer before she closed the door to her bedroom.

The only light, filtering through the open windows that allowed the cool night air to drift into the room as well.

'The baka thinking that I wouldn't be happy if he held me all night. Glad I had that quick chat to Misato about this. God I love how innocent he is. Can't wait till I take tha... Bad Asuka. Bad. Shinji's cute and innocent and you have only been a short time.' Asuka told herself mentally as if she was talking to someone completely different. 'Anyway best get some sleep.'

"Night baka," Asuka sweet voice drifting to the ears of that particular idiot.

'Cute. Acting like she was asleep to get to sleep with me.' Shinji thought as sleep slowly claimed him. His hands gently gripped by a red-head in his lap.

* * *

Nine o'clock come suddenly the next morning and even after her countless beers the night before Misato managed to be the first to awaken. This she found very odd and decided that it would be best to wake the sleeping teens. Just to see their reactions.

Walking into the lounge she saw something that looked all to cute and adorable. 'Cute as hell. Time to get the camera and make some memories,' she thought pulling the camera off the bench and taking several photos of Shinji and Asuka in some form of 'pretzel' position sound asleep their hands still intertwined. Hikari and Touji were laying maybe three inches apart facing each other, but Kensuke, Misato noticed was in a much more interesting sleeping position. Both his legs and arms wrapped around the pillow Misato had given him. Taking a photo of the teens from different angles Misato decided it was time.

"Come on you lot! Time to get up!" She shouted with a grin as all the teens slowly awoke and saw her taking yet more photos of them.

"W-what are you doing Misato," Shinji managed to groggily piece the words together into a coherent sentence.

"Oh nothing much just capturing it all,'' She said with a giggle. "Nice moves last night, I hardly had to push you far," Misato added with playful grin and a wink.

Asuka looked at Misato with a knowing smile and a wink, Shinji didn't notice.

'Thanks Misato. I needed that,' Asuka thought as Misato walked out into the kitchen to fetch a beer for herself.

"So. Who's hungry?" Shinji asked loudly so everyone heard.

"Me!" Came the excited responses from the rest of the people in the apartment.

* * *

I hope this didn't suck too badly. I'm sure you will all tell me if it does. I haven't had my amazing girlfriend edit this like my other chapters so I hope my skills are enough. I think I've gotten rid of most of the errors but let me know anyway thanks for reading and reviewing this. Things are starting to get better next chapter I promise. Again sorry about how long it took I've been busy with school at the moment but I promise it will become more regular. Anyway that's all for now.

Contrary to what I said this story will not have another chapter for quite some time. I'm working on my HSC at the moment and my computer has also decided to shit itself. So it could be awhile before you get more of this fluff. Anyway thanks for sticking with me.

Unit-777


	4. Gifted

**Chapter 4**

**Gifted**

**Authors notes: **Well I hope you are all enjoying my story so far. Some of you may have noticed that I don't really plan out my chapters I just sort of write. I know it seems weird but it works for me. Sorry for not updating recently I'm currently getting ready to sit my HSC exams (Final high school exams to get into university in Australia). Thanks everyone for all the positive reviews and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

"You cant be serious, its been almost three months already. To be honest, I didn't think you would make it through the first day with her. I guess I'm happy for you but what are you going to do?" Touji said in a somewhat excited tone.

"I was thinking about getting her some jewellery. What do you think?"

Shinji had grown several inches in the last few months and was now almost as tall as Touji was. Although his build was still very limited, Touji knew that he had gotten considerably stronger after the two had a wrestling match on the floor of Misato's apartment a week ago.

'He's starting to man up a bit,' Touji thought, looking at Shinji before remembering he had just been asked a question.

"Oh. Umm It could work what were you thinking?"

"Anything really. I haven't really thought about exactly what. I was thinking maybe we could just go and look at everything," Shinji said as he began to walk toward the nearest jewellery store in the huge shopping complex.

"Ok then," Touji said as he quickly caught up with Shinji's pace.

The two boys walked from store to store for what seemed like hours, looking at all manner of different jewellery without much luck in finding something that a certain fiery red head would like.

Lunch time came around and the two still hadn't found anything to get her.

"Look I'm starving. Can we eat and then look around again?" Touji said in a tone that Shinji knew meant business.

"Ok. We will get a quick bite to eat." Shinji said reluctantly.

* * *

On the other side of the city Asuka and Hikari were sitting in the lounge room of Misato's apartment with an assortment of nail polish and files strewn across the floor.

"What do you want for your birthday Asuka?" Hikari asked in her usual cheerful tone.

"Hmm I don't really know. Shinji asked me a few days ago trying to get information out of me. I don't he has ever had to buy a birthday present for anyone, let alone his girlfriend." Asuka said with a giggle.

"Well I told him that he wouldn't get any suggestions from me," Asuka said with a small bout of laughter.

"Aren't you being a little hard on him? It is his first time at this," Hikari said as she methodically filed each of her toe nails to the perfect shape with the tiny file.

"Hmm maybe but that little baka is cute when he is trying to impress me," Asuka said while she rocked back and forth slowly.

"I never thought I'd see the day you were like this, especially over Shinji. Speaking of little. Shinji is not as little as he was. How much has he grown in the last few months?"

"I don't know exactly how much Hikari but I can tell he is a lot stronger than me now and even maybe Touji. Come to think of it he has beaten me the last ten times I fought him for the TV remote and yet he still gives it to me in the end," Asuka said while she finished painting her big toe with the glossy red nail polish.

"He is to sweet," Hikari said while looking at her best friend staring at her toe and knowing exactly who she was thinking of. 'You really do love him don't you.'

* * *

Back at the shopping mall Touji and Shinji were still wandering through the different stores looking for something special to get Asuka.

"Hmm still no luck I'm starting to think that no one will have anything that would show Asuka my feelings." 'Maybe I should get something made.'

"Yeah I think you are out of luck." Touji said with a yawn.

The pair walked into the last Jewellery store in the entire mall. They looked around at every tiny piece until Shinji almost jumped out of his skin upon finding something.

"Touji get your arse over here I think I've found something!" Shinji yelled across the store.

Touji walked over to the glass cabinet that Shinji was leaning over and followed his outstretched arm and finger to it. A necklace. The silver chain was elegant and yet looked very strong. Hanging from the chain was a small heart shaped pedant.

"Hi I was wondering how much this is and if you can modify it at all?" Shinji asked the shop clerk in the most polite voice Touji had ever heard.

"Umm yes certainly sir. The necklace is ¥9,000. What would you like to change about it sir?"

"Well I'd like something special done with it." Shinji said. He then whispered into the clerks ear what he wanted done. The clerk nodded. "We can do that. But it will not be cheap, due to your age I'll have insist on you paying upfront. Is that a problem?"

"No, how much is it going to be?" Shinji asked. The clerk obviously worried wrote the number on a small piece of paper and slid it across the glass counter top.

'¥9,000 (Necklace) + ¥90,000 (Modifications) = ¥99,000' The note read.

"Well I hope it lives up to my expectations." Shinji said as he opened his wallet. Pulling his NERV card out. Standing in front of the card reader he swiped it and put in the PIN. The machine made a positive beep and the clerk looked on in shock. Taking another look at the card the young boy was holding he noticed the name and the status printed on it.

'Ikari Shinji Designated pilot Unit-01' The clerk bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your purchase Mr Ikari. Thank you also for your service and sacrifice to the world," The clerk said still bowing respectfully to the young saviour of humanity. Touji tried to hide a grin and chuckle as he saw the blush and embarrassment plastered across Shinji's face at being thought of as a hero.

"Looks like you have a fan." Touji said with a snicker as Shinji shot him a death glare.

"Thank you for your help. When will it be finished?" Shinji asked in his usual respectful manner.

"It should be done in two days Mr Ikari, I will have them start work on it immediately. Thank you for your business." The clerk said to Shinji with one last bow as the two teens left the store.

"It seems that a lot of people know about NERV and the Evangelion pilots. So what did you get her? How much did it cost?" Touji said with a sly grin.

"I'm not going to tell you. You should know that. I got her something that she will love and something that should show my love for her." Shinji said looking straight ahead as the pair walked toward the exit to go back to Misato's apartment.

"You know Shinji, Asuka is really lucky to have a man like you and I mean it when I say man. You have been through a lot more than most people would be able to survive and have lost almost everything, but instead of thinking about yourself you are always thinking about everyone else's happiness. You my friend are a breed all your own." Touji said with a sincere smile while he patted Shinji on the back.

"Thank you. It means a more than you know." Shinji said sucking the tear that threatened to fall back up. "I wonder if those other two will be done by the time we get back?"

"No idea man... Hey Shinji. Do... You think Hikari likes me?" Touji asked rather sheepishly.

"Umm... Are you an idiot?! Of course she does. Are you going to ask her out?!" Shinji shouted at Touji

"Well... I. Was. Thinking about it." Touji again sounding rather sheepish completely out of character for the jock.

"Anyway lets get back to apartment we can find out then." Shinji said with wink as the two boarded the train that would take them back toward the apartment.

* * *

Back at the apartment Asuka and Hikari were finishing up their nails and cleaning up the mess when the two boys came through the door.

"Tadaima!" The boys yelled from the door as they took off their shoes.

As the two entered the kitchen area Shinji was tackled to the ground by a fast moving blur of red. Touji and Hikari just watched as the two quickly exchanged a kiss and got up off the floor.

"Nawww! That's so cute!" cried Hikari. Making Asuka look at her with a beaming smile and Shinji to blush and look toward Touji who smiled back and nodded.

"Soooo... Did you get me a present. You only have three days remember." Asuka said with obvious joy.

"Of course I got you something. But that being said you can't see it for another three days." Shinji said with a giggle.

"That's not really fair. You can't keep any secrets from me, my little baka," Asuka said the disappointment and excitement in her voice mixing in to one.

"So when did 'Shinji the hero' become your 'little baka'? I didn't know you two had endearments for each other. I might have to start calling you that now too," Touji said with a chuckle which was swiftly cut short by a kick to the groin, Asuka's speciality.

The four teens settled into their designated spots in the lounge room. Misato had noticed recently that Hikari and Touji were spending a lot of time at the apartment and figured it would be because of how strict Hikari's parents were so her and Touji spent most of their days with Shinji and Asuka just so that they could be together without the interference of a parent.

* * *

Asuka awoke wrapped in the warm embrace of Shinji. The four teens had fallen asleep in the lounge room the two girls adequately wrapped in their respective companions embrace. The warm sun was filtering through the open window lighting the entire room. Asuka looked around surveying the room. Everything seemed to be normal, until… Asuka turned over and saw a six foot long three foot high rectangle of beer cans stacked neatly. Asuka wiggled out of Shinji's embrace to investigate. Once she had gotten off the floor to look over the side of the cans she saw what the rectangle was. It was a bed. Inside the structure lay Misato somewhat sprawled out inside. Asuka looked at the obviously drunken figure of her guardian inside her fortress of beer cans and knew exactly who had done it.

"Hey Shinji, take a look at this," Asuka whispered while pushing Shinji about to wake him.

"What?" Shinji asked as he looked at the sleeping Misato.

"Ah. Pen Pen," the teens said in unison. The bird in question then popped his head around the corner of the door and let out a loud squawk.

* * *

"So Asuka what would you like to do today?" Shinji asked from across the kitchen while he cooked breakfast for himself, Asuka, Hikari, Touji, Misato and of course Pen Pen.

"I don't know Shinji. It's almost my 16th birthday. I do have one idea of what I might like to do though. Do you think NERV do request?" Asuka said not breaking eye contact with Shinji until she looked up pondering the idea.

* * *

The two Evangelions speed across the beach where Asuka and Shinji had taken on their first angel together.

"How did you get permission to do this?" Shinji yelled through the intercomm system.

"That's a secret." Asuka replied in a mysterious tone.

"First one back to HQ from here without causing any damage wins! GO!" Asuka yelled and threw Unit-02 to the left suddenly back toward land discarding her power cable as she did so.

'I think I'll let her win. But only by a hair.' Shinji said with determination as he skidded left and started running after Asuka concentrating heavily on what he wanted. Asuka.

He caught up to her and soon they were sprinting at full speed toward HQ.

"Hey Asuka how are we going to get in from topside?" Shinji asked somewhat worried about her plans.

"Well do you think you can fit an Evangelion through the opening to the train tunnel?" Asuka said with a confident giggle.

Soon enough Tokyo 3 came into view and suddenly so did the entrance to the tunnel. 'I've got to let her get there first but only by a little," Shinji thought slowing down just a enough to have to fall in behind Asuka to get through the tunnel.

"I've got you this time baka. You won't be winning this one." Asuka yelled in excitement as she jumped head first through the tunnel.

* * *

Back at the apartment that night Misato, Shinji and Asuka were sitting around the table chatting.

"So they actually let you take the Eva's out. Jeez I can't believe they did that." Misato said upon hearing about the pairs exploits.

"They did say they needed a run to flex the muscles and what not." Asuka said.

"It was fun but next time it won't be your birthday coming up so I can beat you without feeling bad." Shinji said confidently looking directly at Asuka.

She laughed but they kept their eye contact.

"Wow you two really need to get a room! I'm going to watch tv away from you two and your goo goo eyes!" Misato shouted as she walked into the lounge room with her beer.

* * *

The morning had finally come. Shinji awoke early to make breakfast for the still sleeping beauty next to him. Soon enough the huge feed of pancakes were stacked on the table complete with fresh berries, honey and other toppings.

"Well it looks like its time for the knight in shining armour to awaken the fair maiden with a kiss." Misato said to Shinji with a giggle and a quick peck on the cheek. "Do your thing prince charming." Misato said placing her gift for Asuka on the table and pushing Shinji toward his bedroom door.

Kissing her passionately on the lips Shinji then proceeded to lift Asuka gently off the bed without breaking the kiss and carry her bridal style to the table seating her in the chair as she stirred from her slumber.

"You are such a romantic little couple!" Misato screeched handing the present to Asuka. "Here it is, I hope you like it."

"Thanks Misato." Asuka said giving her guardian a hug and beginning to unwrap the small parcel. "This beautiful." Asuka pulled out the red and white bracelet that was within. It spiralled smoothly around. She slipped it over her slender wrist.

"I love it." Asuka said giving Misato a huge hug.

"Right I guess that means it's my turn." Shinji said pacing the small package containing the necklace to Asuka.

Asuka began opening the wrapping and soon was at the black box. She pulled the small lid off. Gasping Asuka gently pulled the necklace out examining both sides of the heart shaped pendant.

"Ho-w? Wha-?" Lost for words Asuka examined the pendant further. On one side was her name made from tiny ruby's and amber that had been perfectly cut to fit the depression imprinted in the pendant and on the other side was Shinji's name similarly imprinted but with amethyst and emerald instead.

Taking the necklace from Asuka, Shinji pulled it around her slender neck and did up the clasp.

"I love it Shinji! I love the whole thing! I love this! I love you!" Asuka yelled embracing him as tightly as possible. The small heart shaped heart pendant pressed between the two young lovers.

* * *

Well thanks for reading I plan to continue this. I hope it wasn't too over the top etc. Review as always. I'll be posting more regularly when I finish my last exam on Friday. Thanks for sticking with me.

Unit-777


End file.
